How to make yourself a target

Past couple of weeks I've been reacquanting myself with this and other security forums - and my firewall has been reporting a steadily increasing stream of 'attacks', up from 1 or 2 a day to about 3 or 4 an hour.

Anyone else think they're out to get you, or are we all just paranoid?

Hi! My experience is that when I'm at this security site, the probes are less. It's nice and quiet compared to the roaring lions in the wild. Outside this site I get lots of probes but doesn't everybody? Make sure you have a good firewall. I find most of the security sites to be generally quiet probewise.

Nope, I've not increased my on-line time. If anything, it's dropped! I can't say I'm worried about these probes - I would be if my firewall wasn't catching anything.

It just struck me as an odd coincidence that the number should increase after visiting security forums. For example, I've been on-line for just >1h now, and had 9 probes from 3 attackers (autoblock only lasts 30minutes). I think they might be feeling frustrated if they can get my IP from a post log, but can't see it when they go looking because everythings closed/stealthed.

Yes we are all a bit paranoid BUT the only ones that have your IP
are granted that priviledge by this site and these people wouldn't probe you unless you specificly asked them to do so.
OR if asked very nicely for their records by the FBI. It would then be the FBI scanning you and not this site.
We have to trust somebody in our lives...

its long been a known fact that security forums are monitored by government......an its just as likely that some member is in fact a monitor.....but not just on security forums.....its done at <yahoo> message boards etc...chat rooms....rarely if ever is there any type of adverse effects.
an yes I noticed alot more scanning in recent past weeks but all was accountable.
no government actually needs to do scanning..there are far easier ways to track someone...without their ever knowing they are being tracked. scanning is much to alarming.....
with all the free scanners that are available everybody is scanning everybody these days......
imo firewalls have given even experience users a false sense of security....to many people consider the firewall as an all purpose tool..which it is not. its part of the entire security package....not a total security package all by itself
personally I could care less if forums are monitored...the finest people in the world visit security forums....maybe some of that will rub off on the not so nice guys....an if not...thats okay...its not going to prevent forums from helping...an when the newbes arrive someone will be around to offer support....that wont ever change.
so in response to the scanning question..scanning of itself is of no real concern an not worth the time wasted..a real hacker sets his sights higher...script kiddies look for easy prey..an the government has far better means....

Most garden variety 'hackers' are script kiddies and those lil dahlinks wouldn't have the foresight or the patience to scope out a security forum and take notes. The professionals couldn't care less bc have bigger game to hunt; The average Joe Sixpack's system does not represent anything but a fleeting gratuitous indulgence.

At first of all..... As we know this forum is the most advanced you can find on the net...
It makes a very good challenge to try our shields, how hard it really is to get through....I do not want to scare anyone, nono, this is just my very own thought, but I believe there they still are aiming at us. Be careful friends.